This invention relates to a radial bearing apparatus for a high thrust trolling motor.
In the art of trolling, small electric driven outboard motor units are mounted to the transom of a boat and employed for slow speed maneuverability and positioning of the fishing boats. The electric drive motor is housed within the lower unit and coupled to drive a suitable propeller. The electric trolling motor unit may be specially employed in bass fishing and the like where the motor unit is primarily employed for limited maneuverability within a fishing area to properly locate the boat with respect to and positioning of the fishermans lines. The motor unit is turned for steering of the boat by a foot control coupled by push-pull cables to a turning gear means in the head of the motor unit and the speed is similarly controlled from a foot control connected in circuit with a battery and the motor. A separate high powered internal combustion outboard motor is normally provided for rapid propulsion of the water-craft to the fishing location or spot after which the trolling motor is employed. A particularly unique and satisfactory motor unit construction is illustrated in the co-pending application of Charles F. Alexander, Jr. and entitle "HIGH THRUST TROLLING MOTOR" which was filed on the same day as this application and is assigned to the same assigned.
As more fully disclosed therein, the trolling motor includes a lower unit within which an electric motor is housed and coupled to a separate propeller drive shaft by a reduction gear means to establish a low speed and high torque to turn a large propeller that produces high thrust. By increasing the diameter of the propeller unit an increase in the static thrust is obtained for a given motor horsepower. The gear reduction means is a planetary gear system which is uniquely adapted to practical implementation in a low cost trolling motor. The planetary gear system uniquely distributes the load between the planet gears. Consequently, relatively inexpensive plastic, and sintered gear members can be employed. The planetary gear system is formed as a separate self-contained unit or subassembly to close the corresponding end of the lower unit with a convenient coupling between the propeller shaft and the motor shaft. The addition of the gear subassembly increases the overall length of the lower unit which is therefor constructed as a compact unit.